Fiber optic cable control clips and enclosure assemblies and methods incorporating the same

ABSTRACT

An enclosure assembly for use with a fiber optic cable, the cable having a lengthwise cable axis and including a plurality of optical fibers and a jacket surrounding the optical fibers includes an enclosure housing and a cable control clip. The enclosure housing defines a chamber to receive the cable. The cable control clip is configured to be inserted through the cable to extend radially between the optical fibers and the jacket to limit contact between the optical fibers and one or more other components of the cable, and to limit displacement of the enclosure housing relative to the cable when the cable control clip is disposed in the chamber.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/966,302, filed Aug. 27, 2007, and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/005,174, filed Dec. 3, 2007, the disclosuresof which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fiber optic cables and, moreparticularly, to enclosures for fiber optic cables.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to communication cable termination systemsand, more particularly, to optical fiber termination systems and methodsfor terminating the same.

An extensive infrastructure supporting telecommunication has beendeveloped, traditionally based upon copper wire connections betweenindividual subscribers and telecommunications company networkdistribution points. More recently, much of the telecommunicationsnetwork infrastructure is being extended or replaced with an opticalfiber based communications network infrastructure. The carrying capacityand communication rate capabilities of such equipment may exceed thatprovided by conventional copper wired systems.

As such, fiber optic cables are widely used for telecommunicationsapplications where high information capacity, noise immunity and otheradvantages of optical fibers may be exploited. Fiber cable architecturesare emerging for connecting homes and/or business establishments, viaoptical fibers, to a central location. A trunk or main cable may berouted, for example, through a housing subdivision and small fiber count“drop cables” may be spliced to the main cable at predetermined spacedapart locations.

A typical main cable may be installed underground and have multiple dropcables connected thereto, each of a hundred feet or more. Each of thedrop cables, in turn, may be routed to an optical network unit (ONU)serving several homes. Information may then be transmitted optically tothe ONU, and into the home, via conventional copper cable technology,although it also has been proposed to extend optical fiber all the wayto the home rather than just to the ONU. Thus, the drop cables may servegroups of users, although other architectures may also employ a maincable and one or more drop cables connected thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to some embodiments of the present invention, an enclosureassembly is provided for use with a fiber optic cable, the cable havinga lengthwise cable axis and including a plurality of optical fibers anda jacket surrounding the optical fibers. The enclosure assembly includesan enclosure housing and a cable control clip. The enclosure housingdefines a chamber to receive the cable. The cable control clip isconfigured to be inserted through the cable to extend radially betweenthe optical fibers and the jacket to limit contact between the opticalfibers and one or more other components of the cable, and to limitdisplacement of the enclosure housing relative to the cable when thecable control clip is disposed in the chamber. In some embodiments, thecable control clip is affixed to the enclosure housing.

According to some embodiments, the cable control clip includes first andsecond clip members coupled to one another. The first clip memberincludes a first wall configured to extend between the optical fibersand the jacket. The second clip member includes a second wall configuredto extend around an exterior of the jacket.

In some embodiments, the cable control clip includes a unitarily formedclip member. The clip member includes a first wall and a second wallconnected by a bend portion. The clip member is configured to looparound the cable such that the first wall extends between the opticalfibers and the jacket, and the second wall extends around an exterior ofthe jacket.

The cable control clip may include a fiber groove configured to receivethe optical fibers and to extend radially into the jacket.

The cable control clip can be configured to grip the cable. In someembodiments, the cable control clip includes at least one projectionconfigured to embed into the jacket to resist axial displacement of thejacket relative to the cable control clip.

According to some embodiments, when mounted on the cable, the cablecontrol clip permits the cable to float axially a limited distance withrespect to the cable control clip.

The cable control clip may be configured to extend radially between theoptical fibers and the jacket and a strength member forming a part ofthe cable concurrently such that the cable control clip limits contactbetween the optical fibers and the strength member.

The cable control clip can be metal.

According to some embodiments, the housing includes a cable entranceport and a cable exit port. The cable entrance port is in communicationwith the chamber and configured to receive the cable therethrough alongan entrance axis. The cable exit port is in communication with thechamber and is configured to receive the cable therethrough along anexit axis. The entrance axis and the exit axis are nonparallel withrespect to one another.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the enclosureassembly is combined with a fiber optic cable to provide an enclosedfiber optic cable assembly. The fiber optic cable has a lengthwise cableaxis and includes a plurality of optical fibers and a jacket surroundingthe optical fibers. The cable extends through the chamber. The cablecontrol clip is inserted through the cable and extends radially betweenthe optical fibers and the jacket, and is disposed in the chamber. Thecable control clip limits contact between the optical fibers and one ormore other components of the cable and limits displacement of theenclosure housing relative to the cable.

According to some embodiments, the cable further includes a buffer tubeand a strength member. The cable control clip extends radially betweenthe optical fibers and the jacket, the strength member and the buffertube concurrently and limits contact between the optical fibers and thestrength member and the buffer tube.

In some embodiments, the optical fibers extend fully through theenclosure housing uncut and the jacket extends fully and continuouslythrough the enclosure housing. The jacket includes a longitudinallyextending access opening through which the optical fibers areaccessible. The cable control clip is inserted through the accessopening.

According to further embodiments of the present invention, a cablecontrol clip is provided for use with a fiber optic cable and anenclosure housing, the cable having a lengthwise cable axis andincluding a plurality of optical fibers and a jacket surrounding theoptical fibers, the enclosure housing defining a chamber to receive thecable. The cable control clip is configured to be inserted through thecable to extend radially between the optical fibers and the jacket tolimit contact between the optical fibers and one or more othercomponents of the cable, and to limit displacement of the enclosurehousing relative to the cable when the cable control clip is disposed inthe chamber.

According to method embodiments of the present invention, a method isprovided for enclosing a portion of a fiber optic cable, the cablehaving a lengthwise cable axis and including a plurality of opticalfibers and a jacket surrounding the optical fibers. The method includes:inserting a cable control clip through the cable such that the cablecontrol clip extends radially between the optical fibers and the jacket;and placing the cable and the cable control clip in a chamber of anenclosure housing. The cable control clip limits contact between theoptical fibers and one or more other components of the cable, and limitsdisplacement of the enclosure housing relative to the cable. The methodmay include affixing the cable control clip to the enclosure housing.

In some embodiments, inserting the cable control clip through the cableincludes positioning the optical fibers in a fiber groove of the cablecontrol clip.

According to some embodiments, inserting the cable control clip throughthe cable includes inserting the cable control clip through the cablesuch that the cable control clip extends radially between the opticalfibers and the jacket and a strength member of the cable and limitscontact between the optical fibers and the strength member.

The method may include, prior to inserting the cable control clipthrough the cable, removing a scalloped segment of the jacket to form alongitudinally extending, radially open access opening through which theoptical fibers are accessible. Inserting the cable control clip throughthe cable includes inserting the cable control clip through the accessopening. Inserting the cable control clip through the cable may includeinserting the cable control clip through the access opening and betweenthe jacket and portions of the optical fibers extending fully across theaccess opening uncut. In some embodiments, the method further includes:removing a second scalloped segment of the jacket to form a secondlongitudinally extending access opening at a second location axiallyspaced apart along a length of the cable from the first access openingand through which the optical fibers are accessible; inserting a secondcable control clip through the second access opening such that thesecond cable control clip extends radially between the optical fibersand the jacket at the second access opening; and placing the cable andthe second cable control clip in a second chamber of a second enclosurehousing, wherein the second cable control clip limits contact betweenthe optical fibers and one or more other components of the cable andlimits displacement of the second enclosure housing relative to thecable. The optical fibers extend fully through the first and secondenclosure housings uncut and the jacket extends fully and continuouslythrough the first and second enclosure housings.

Further features, advantages and details of the present invention willbe appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading ofthe figures and the detailed description of the preferred embodimentsthat follow, such description being merely illustrative of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a cable enclosure assembly according toembodiments of the present invention in an open position.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the cable enclosure assemblyof FIG. 1 in the open position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cable enclosure assembly of FIG. 1in a closed position.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, top, front perspective view of a cable controlclip according to some embodiments of the present invention and forminga part of the cable enclosure assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded, enlarged, bottom, front perspective view of thecable control clip of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cable enclosure assembly of FIG.1 taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 3, wherein a cable is installed inthe cable enclosure assembly.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of the cable installed inthe cable control clip of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fiber optic cable with an accessopening formed therein.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cable enclosure assembly according tofurther embodiments of the present invention in an open position.

FIG. 10 is an exploded, perspective view of the cable enclosure assemblyof FIG. 9 in the open position.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged, bottom, perspective view of a cable control clipaccording to further embodiments of the present invention and forming apart of the cable enclosure assembly of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is an exploded, enlarged, bottom perspective view of the cablecontrol clip of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged, central cross-sectional view of the cableenclosure assembly of FIG. 9, wherein a cable is installed in the cableenclosure assembly.

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of a fiber optic cable enclosure systemaccording to embodiments of the present invention and including thecable enclosure assemblies of FIGS. 1 and 9.

FIG. 15 is a bottom, perspective view of a cable control clip accordingto further embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrativeembodiments of the invention are shown. In the drawings, the relativesizes of regions or features may be exaggerated for clarity. Thisinvention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thoroughand complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to thoseskilled in the art.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“coupled” or “connected” to another element, it can be directly coupledor connected to the other element or intervening elements may also bepresent. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directlycoupled” or “directly connected” to another element, there are nointervening elements present. Like numbers refer to like elementsthroughout.

In addition, spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”,“lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will beunderstood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompassdifferent orientations of the device in use or operation in addition tothe orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device inthe figures is turned over, elements described as “under” or “beneath”other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the otherelements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompassboth an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwiseoriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatiallyrelative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein the expression“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will befurther understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of this disclosure and therelevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overlyformal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Embodiments of the present invention provide cable control clips forlocating a cable enclosure with respect to a fiber optic cable on whichthe cable enclosure is mounted. According to some embodiments, a smallaccess opening is formed in a jacket of the fiber optic cable to provideaccess to the optical fibers in the cable and the cable enclosure ismounted on the cable to cover the access opening. The cable control clipcan be inserted through the access opening to engage the fiber opticcable. The cable control clip can be further secured to the cableenclosure.

Embodiments of the present invention include cable control clipsconfigured to be inserted through a fiber optic cable to extend radiallybetween the optical fibers and a surrounding jacket of the fiber opticcable. The cable control clip, once installed, can separate the opticalfibers from one or more other components of the fiber optic cable (e.g.,a buffer tube, one or more strength members, a metal shield layer orground sheath, and/or the jacket) to limit contact therebetween.

In some embodiments of the present invention, after a cable locationwhere access is desired is identified, two small cable access openingsare made in the cable through which the fibers can be accessed. In someembodiments, neither of the two access openings requires fully removingthe cable outer jacket, fully removing the ground sheath, or fullysevering the strength members (i.e., a taut sheath splice may beprovided). The openings are longitudinally (along the length of thecable) separated or spaced apart by a desired distance along the axis ofthe cable.

In some embodiments, one or more selected fibers are sliced (cut) in oneof the two openings and the sliced fiber(s) are withdrawn by pullingthem from the other opening to gain access to those fibers and toprovide access to a length of the fibers facilitating accessingequipment to form a splice to or connectorizing those fibers. In otherwords, the length between the openings may be selected to provide adesired length of the fiber(s) to work with during a subsequentoperation. Thus, a fiber having a slack length greater than the size ofeither the first or second opening may be provided without cuttingthrough the grounding/shielding, the strength members or the unselectedfibers. As such, their continuity along the cable forelectrical/magnetic/strength purposes may be maintained without cuttingand re-connecting any of these members.

After splicing or the like, environmental integrity of the cable may berestored by applying a cable enclosure over each opening. A largerenclosure may be provided at the opening with the splice while a smallerenclosure is provided at the opening where the cut was originally madeto allow drawing of the selected fiber(s). A cable control clip asdiscussed above may be used in conjunction with either or both of thecable enclosures.

With reference to FIGS. 1-7, a fiber optic cable enclosure assembly 100according to embodiments of the present invention is shown therein. Theassembly 100 can be used to enclose a portion of a fiber optic cable 20and secure the assembly 100 with respect to the cable portion. Theassembly 100 and use and operation thereof will be described herein withreference to fiber optic cables including multiple optical fiberribbons, a buffer tube, strength members, a jacket and a metal shieldlayer; however, according to other embodiments, the cable control clips,enclosure assemblies and methods of the present invention may be usedwith fiber optic cables of other constructions (e.g., a fiber opticcable not having a metal shield layer).

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the assembly 100 includes an enclosurehousing 111, two upper masses of flowable cable sealant 52, two lowermasses of flowable cable sealant 54, a flowable perimeter sealant 50, alatch clip 108 (FIG. 3), and a cable control clip 150. The enclosurehousing 111 includes a first housing part 110 (referred to herein as thetop housing part) and a second housing part 120 (referred to herein asthe bottom housing part). The assembly 100 includes a hinge mechanism102 so that the housing parts 110, 120 are relatively pivotable betweenan open position as shown in FIG. 1 and a closed position as shown inFIG. 3. In the closed position, the housing 111 defines a chamber 106(FIG. 6). The assembly 100 may be referred to as a clamshell cableenclosure. An entry cable port 104A and an exit cable port 104B (FIG. 1)communicate with the chamber 106 and the exterior of the housing 111.The assembly 100 may be used with cables 20, 30 to form a spliceconnection assembly 5 (FIGS. 3 and 6) including an optical fiber splice35 (FIG. 1), for example.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 8, the illustrative cable 20 is anoptical fiber cable including optical fibers 28 (which may be arrangedas stacks of multi-fiber ribbons, as shown), a buffer tube 26surrounding the optical fibers 28, a metal shield layer 27 surroundingthe buffer tube 26, a tubular outer protective jacket 22 surrounding themetal shield layer 27, and a pair of strength members 24 extendingbetween the outer protective jacket 22 and the buffer tube 26 ondiametrically opposed sides of the cable 20. The cable 20 has a centralcable axis B-B (FIG. 2) that extends lengthwise through the cable 20substantially down the center of the outer protective jacket 22. Thevarious described features of the illustrated cable 20 are visible in anaccess opening 21 formed by removing a scalloped segment as describedherein. The access opening 21 has a length L1 defined by thelongitudinally opposed edges 26A of the opening in the buffer tube 26.

The cable 30 (FIG. 1) may be a drop cable (e.g., a flat drop cable)including one or more optical fibers 38 surrounded by a jacket 32, forexample.

With reference to FIG. 1, the top housing part 110 includes a body 112,hinge structures 113, a latch structure 114, a perimeter sealing channel115 and a pair of containment wall structures 116. Opposed cable cutouts116A are formed in the containment wall structures 116. The perimetersealant 50 is disposed in the channel 115. The sealant masses 52 aredisposed in sealant containment cavities defined by the containment wallstructures 116.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom housing part 120 includes abody 122, hinge structures 123 (FIG. 1), a latch structure 124 (FIG. 3),a perimeter sealing flange 125 (FIG. 1), and a pair of containment wallstructures 126. Opposed cable cutouts 126A are formed in the containmentwall structures 126. The hinge structures 123 mate with the hingestructures 113 to form the hinge mechanism 102. The sealant masses 54are disposed in sealant containment cavities defined by the containmentwall structures 126. The latch structures 114, 124 mate with the lockclip 108 to lock the housing 111 in the closed position (FIGS. 3 and 6).A plurality of clips may be mounted in the bottom housing part 120 andused to manage the optical fibers 28, 38. One or more splice holders 35may be mounted in the bottom housing part 120 and used to hold one ormore splices.

A clip mount post 154 (FIG. 2) extends upwardly from the bottom housingpart 120. A bolt hole 154A is defined in the top of the clip mount post154. A stabilizer slot 156 (FIG. 2) is also defined in the bottomhousing part 120.

The housing parts 110, 120 may each be formed of any suitable material.According to some embodiments, the housing parts 110, 120 are formed ofa polymeric material. Suitable polymeric materials may includepolypropylene and its derivatives, or polycarbonate, for example.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the entrance port 104A has a cable entry axisA1-A1 and the exit port 104B has a cable exit axis A2-A2 that isnon-parallel to the cable entry axis A1-A1. According to someembodiments, the cable entry axis A1-A1 forms an angle in the range offrom about 60 to 179 with respect to the cable exit axis A2-A2 and,according to some embodiments, in the range of from about 120 to 170.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the cable control clip 150 includesa first clip member 160 (referred to herein as the top clip member) anda second clip member 170 (referred to herein as the bottom clip member).The clip members 160, 170 are coupled together using a bolt 152 or othersuitable fastener to form the cable control clip 150, as discussed inmore detail below.

With reference to FIG. 4, the top clip member 160 includes an L-shapedbody 161 having a generally planar portion 161A. A bolt slot 162 isdefined on a first end of the body 161. A channel portion 164 (as shown,configured as a baffle) of the clip member 160 extends longitudinallyacross the body 161 and projects out of the plane of the planar portion161A and toward the bottom clip 170. According to some embodiments, thechannel portion 164 is arcuate (e.g., substantially semi-circular) onboth its upper and lower surfaces. The upper side of the channel portion164 defines a longitudinally extending fiber trough or groove 164A. Theopposed end edges 164B of the channel portion 164 may be beveled,rounded or smooth to reduce the risk of damaging impingement on opticalfibers extending through the fiber groove 164A. A coupling flange 166 isprovided on a second end of the body 161. A locator slot 166A is definedin the coupling flange 166. A bend 169A (e.g., at 90 degrees) isprovided in the body 161 between the fiber groove 164A and the bolt slot162 to define a mounting tab 169.

With reference to FIG. 5, the bottom clip member 170 includes anL-shaped body 171. A bolt slot 172 is defined on a first end of the body171. A channel portion 174 (as shown, configured as a baffle) of theclip member 170 extends longitudinally across the body 171 and projectsfrom the body 171 away from the top clip 160. According to someembodiments, the channel portion 174 is arcuate (e.g., substantiallysemi-circular) on at least its upper surface. The upper side of thechannel portion 174 defines a longitudinally extending jacket groove174A. A plurality of projections or teeth 175 project upwardly from thechannel portion 174 into the jacket groove 174A. A coupling flange 176is provided on a second end of the body 171. A locator tab 176A extendsfrom the coupling flange 176. A bend 179A is provided in the body 171between the jacket groove 174A and the bolt slot 172 to define amounting tab 179.

The cable control clip 150 can be assembled by positioning the bottomclip member 170 below the top clip member 160, inserting the couplingflange 176 into the coupling flange 166 (with the locator tab 176Aseated in the locator slot 166A), and pivoting the clip members 160, 170into abutment as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. The clip members 160, 170 canbe secured in this position and to the bottom housing part 120 byinserting the flange 166 in the stabilizer slot 156 (FIG. 2), insertingthe bolt 152 through the bolt slots 162, 172, and securing the bolt 152in the bolt hole 154A (FIG. 2).

The clip members 160, 170 may be formed of any suitable material.According to some embodiments, the clip members 160, 170 are formed of arigid metal. Suitable materials may include steel, aluminum or a hardplastic or polymer composite such as glass filed nylon.

According to some embodiments, the fiber groove 164A and jacket groove174A each have a length L2 (FIG. 4) in the range of from about 2 to 6centimeters. According to some embodiments, the depth D2 (FIG. 7) of thefiber groove 164A is in the range of from about 0.4 to 1 centimeter.According to some embodiments, the width W2 (FIG. 7) of the fiber groove164A is in the range of from about 0.8 to 1.2 centimeters.

According to some embodiments, the depth D3 (FIG. 7) of the jacketgroove 174A is in the range of from about 0.5 to 2.5 centimeters.According to some embodiments, the width W3 (FIG. 7) of the jacketgroove 174A is in the range of from about 1 to 2.6 centimeters.

According to some embodiments, the distance G (FIG. 7) of the gapdefined between the channel portions 164, 174 is in the range of fromabout 0.25 to 7 centimeters when the cable control clip 150 isassembled.

The sealants 50, 52, 54 may be any suitable sealants. According to someembodiments, the sealant 50 is a gel sealant. According to someembodiments, the sealants 52, 54 are gel sealants. According to someembodiments, all of the sealants 50, 52, 54 are gel sealants. As usedherein, “gel” refers to the category of materials which are solidsextended by a fluid extender. The gel may be a substantially dilutesystem that exhibits no steady state flow. As discussed in Ferry,“Viscoelastic Properties of Polymers,” 3^(rd) ed. P. 529 (J. Wiley &Sons, New York 1980), a polymer gel may be a cross-linked solutionwhether linked by chemical bonds or crystallites or some other kind ofjunction. The absence of the steady state flow may be considered to bethe definition of the solid-like properties while the substantialdilution may be necessary to give the relatively low modulus of gels.The solid nature may be achieved by a continuous network structureformed in the material generally through crosslinking the polymer chainsthrough some kind of junction or the creation of domains of associatedsubstituents of various branch chains of the polymer. The crosslinkingcan be either physical or chemical as long as the crosslink sites may besustained at the use conditions of the gel.

Gels for use in this invention may be silicone (organopolysiloxane)gels, such as the fluid-extended systems taught in U.S. Pat. No.4,634,207 to Debbaut (hereinafter “Debbaut '207”); U.S. Pat. No.4,680,233 to Camin et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,063 to Dubrow et al.; andU.S. Pat. No. 5,079,300 to Dubrow et al. (hereinafter “Dubrow '300”),the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference. These fluid-extended silicone gels may be created withnonreactive fluid extenders as in the previously recited patents or withan excess of a reactive liquid, e.g., a vinyl-rich silicone fluid, suchthat it acts like an extender, as exemplified by the Sylgard® 527product commercially available from Dow-Corning of Midland, Mich. or asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,260 to Nelson. Because curing isgenerally involved in the preparation of these gels, they are sometimesreferred to as thermosetting gels. The gel may be a silicone gelproduced from a mixture of divinyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane,tetrakis (dimethylsiloxy)silane, a platinum divinyltetramethyldisiloxanecomplex, commercially available from United Chemical Technologies, Inc.of Bristol, Pa., polydimethylsiloxane, and1,3,5,7-tetravinyltetra-methylcyclotetrasiloxane (reaction inhibitor forproviding adequate pot life).

Other types of gels may be used, for example, polyurethane gels astaught in the aforementioned Debbaut '261 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,476 toDebbaut (hereinafter “Debbaut '476”) and gels based on styrene-ethylenebutylenestyrene (SEBS) or styrene-ethylene propylene-styrene (SEPS)extended with an extender oil of naphthenic or nonaromatic or lowaramatic content hydrocarbon oil, as described in U.S. Pat. No.4,369,284 to Chen; U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,183 to Gamarra et al.; and U.S.Pat. No. 4,942,270 to Gamarra. The SEBS and SEPS gels comprise glassystyrenic microphases interconnected by a fluid-extended elastomericphase. The microphase-separated styrenic domains serve as the junctionpoints in the systems. The SEBS and SEPS gels are examples ofthermoplastic systems.

Another class of gels which may be used are EPDM rubber-based gels, asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,143 to Chang et al.

Yet another class of gels which may be used are based onanhydride-containing polymers, as disclosed in WO 96/23007.

According to some embodiments, the gel has a Voland hardness, asmeasured by a texture analyzer, of between about 5 and 100 grams force.The gel may have an elongation, as measured by ASTM D-638, of at least55%. According to some embodiments, the elongation is of at least 100%.The gel may have a stress relaxation of less than 80%. The gel may havea tack greater than about 1 gram.

While, in accordance with some embodiments, the sealants 50, 52, 54 aregels as described above, other types of sealants may be employed. Forexample, the sealants 50, 52, 54 may be silicone grease orhydrocarbon-based grease.

The assembly 100 may be used in the following manner to form a spliceconnection assembly 5 (FIGS. 3 and 6), for example. The cable 20 is cutto form the access opening 21. More particularly, a portion of the cable20 is located where access to the fibers 28 is desired. A longitudinallyextending segment is cut from the cable at the selected location to formthe scalloped access opening 21. According to some embodiments, theaccess opening 21 is formed using an apparatus and/or method asdisclosed in co-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/194,178,filed Aug. 19, 2008 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference. One or more splices may be formed between the cable 20 andthe cable 30.

The cable control clip 150 is installed in the cable 20 through theaccess opening 21. More particularly, the top clip member 160 isinserted through the opening 21 between the uncut (express) opticalfibers 28 and the buffer tube 26 (e.g., below the lowermost fiberribbon) until the channel portion 164 is seated in the buffer tube 26and the optical fibers 28 are seated in the fiber groove 164A. Thecoupling flange 176 of the clip member 170 is seated in the couplingflange 166 of the top clip member 160. The bottom clip member 170 ispivoted up about the coupling flanges 166, 176 into engagement with thetop clip member 160 so that the cable jacket 22 is received in thejacket groove 174A.

The cable 20 with the cable control clip 150 installed thereon is placedin the open housing 111. The cable control clip 150 is secured to thebottom housing part 120 by inserting the coupling flange 166 into thestabilizer slot 156 and screwing the bolt 152 through the bolt slots162, 172 and into the bolt hole 154A. The cable control clip 150 isthereby affixed to the housing 111 and the uncut portion of the cable 20is thereby captured between the clip members 160, 170, as shown in FIGS.1, 6 and 7.

The cable 20 is placed in each sealant mass 54 and the cable cutouts126A so that, as shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the cable 20 on one sideof the cable control clip 150 extends generally along the cable entryaxis A1-A1 of the cable entry port 104A and a portion of the cable 20 onthe other side of the cable control clip 150 extends generally along theable exit axis A2-A2 of the cable exit port 104B.

With the cable 20 and the cable control clip 150 thus installed, the tophousing part 110 and the bottom housing part 120 can be relativelypivoted about the hinge 102 into the closed position as shown in FIGS. 3and 6. The cable control clip 150 and the access opening 21 are therebycontained in the chamber 106. Once the housing parts 110, 130 areclosed, the clip 108 can be applied to the latch structures 114, 124 tosecure the housing 111 in its closed position.

The sealant masses 52, 54 can provide an environmental seal about theportions of the cable 20 in the cable entrance and exit ports 104A,104B.

The closure of the assembly 100 also provides a perimeter environmentalseal. The perimeter seal is created by the sealant channel 115, theperimeter sealant 50 and the perimeter flange 125. As the housing parts110, 120 are closed, the flange 125 enters the channel 115 and displacesthe sealant 50. This perimeter seal may be maintained so long as thelatch structures remain interlocked.

The cable control clip 150 limits or prevents contact between portionsof the uncut (express) optical fibers 28 in or at the access opening 21and the other components of the cable 20, namely, the jacket 22, thestrength members 24, the metal shield layer 27 and the buffer tube 26.In this manner, the cable control clip 150 can prevent, impede, orreduce the risk of one or more of these components impinging on anddamaging the fibers 28. In particular, the clip 150 can contain thestrength members 24, which have been exposed by the scallop forming theaccess opening 21. The rounded end edges 164B of the clip member 160 canprevent or reduce the risk of damage to the fibers 28 from the clip 150itself.

The cable control clip 150 can also limit the displacement of thehousing 111 with respect to the cable 20. Axial (i.e., cable lengthwise)displacement of the clip 150 with respect to the cable 20 is bounded bythe endwise edges 26A of the access opening 21. Because the clip 150 iscaptured within (and, more particularly affixed to) the housing 111,axial displacement of the housing 111 is likewise limited by theengagement between the clip 150 and the cable 20. The clip 150 can thuslimit or even prevent cable pullout from the housing 111. The clip 150may also limit or prevent buckling of the strength members 24 undercolumnar loading.

The cable control clip 150 may also limit or prevent rotation of thehousing 111 about the axis B-B (FIG. 2) of the cable 20. The cablecontrol clip 150 may provide strain relief for the cable at the housing111.

According to some embodiments, the cable 20 is relatively loosely heldby the clip 150 so that the cable 20 can longitudinally float within theclip 150, bounded by the end edges 26A of the access opening 21.According to some embodiments, the clip 150 clamps onto or grips theuncut portion of the cable 20 to prevent or inhibit the cable 20 fromsliding axially within the clip 150. The grip on the cable 20 may beaided by the teeth 175.

Because the cable entry axis A1-A1 (FIG. 1) and the cable exit axisA2-A2 in some embodiments are non-parallel (i.e., extend at an angle toone another), the corresponding entering and exiting portions 20A and20B of the cable 20 are non-parallel. Typically, the cables in a tautsheath enclosure enter and exit the closure along the same axis. Such aconventional arrangement generally results in fairly long overallclosure length. In a buried environment, a substantially larger handholemay be required in order to make this arrangement fit because theclosure and the entering/exiting cable has an extended length.Typically, the main cable is in a circular coil within the handhole, andto install the taut sheath closure requires that a substantial sectionof that circular coil be “straightened out”. By providing an enclosureassembly 100 that causes the cable entering portion 20A and the cableexiting portion 20B to be angled with respect to one another, someembodiments of the present invention may allow the cable 20 to pass intoand out of the enclosure assembly 100 with no or reduced disturbance ofthe circular coil shape. By doing this (even at relatively shallowangles), the cable 20 may be re-coiled, after installing the enclosureassembly 100, to a diameter that still fits a smaller handhole withoutbending the cable 20 sharply at the entrance/exit point to the enclosureassembly 100. According to some embodiments and as shown, the accessopening 21 faces outwardly with respect to the included angle defined bythe cable entry axis A1-A1 and the cable exit axis A2-A2 (i.e., theaccess opening 21 is not positioned within the angle). Bending of thecable 20 within the housing 111 may be facilitated by the orientation ofthe cable 20 with the access opening 21 at the outside of the bend(i.e., facing away from the enclosed angle defined by the axes A1-A1 andA2-A2) and the strength members 24 at the six o'clock and twelve o'clockpositions. According to some embodiments, the length of the cable 20including the enclosure assembly 100 is coiled with a diameter of nomore than 91 centimeters.

The bend in the cable 20 in the chamber 106 may be formed and maintainedby the relative positioning of the cable control clip 150 and/or theconfigurations of the cable cutouts 116A, 126A (FIG. 1). For example, inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the clip 150 (when installed)holds the centerline B-B of the cable 20 forwardly (i.e., toward thesplice tray 35) of the centerlines of the cable ports 104A, 104B. Also,in the illustrated embodiment, each cable port axis A1-A1, A2-A2 isdefined by the centerlines of the respective cutouts 116A, 126A definingthe cable ports 104A, 104B. That is, the inner cutouts 116A, 126A arestaggered or offset with respect to the outer cutouts 116A, 126A so thatthe centerlines of the cutouts 116A, 126A are not coaxial. However,other mechanisms or configurations may be used to form and/or maintainthe arcuate bend in the cable 20 in accordance with other embodiments ofthe present invention.

With reference to FIGS. 9-13, a fiber optic cable enclosure assembly 200according to further embodiments of the present invention is showntherein. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the assembly 200 includes anenclosure housing 211 (including a top housing part 210 and a bottomhousing part 220), a hinge 202, two upper masses of flowable cablesealant 62, two lower masses of flowable cable sealant 64, a flowableperimeter sealant 60, and a latch clip 208 (FIG. 13) generallycorresponding to the housing parts 110, 120, the hinge 102, the sealantmasses 52, 54, 50, and the clip 108, respectively, of the assembly 100.The enclosure assembly 200 further includes a cable control clip 250according to further embodiments of the present invention.

The housing parts 210, 220 are relatively pivotable about the hinge 202between an open position as shown in FIG. 9 and a closed position asshown in FIG. 13. In the closed position, the housing 211 defines achamber 206 (FIG. 13). An entry cable port 204A and an exit cable port204B (FIG. 9) communicate with the chamber 206 and the exterior of thehousing 211. The assembly 200 may be used with the cable 20 to form anenclosed cable assembly 7 (FIG. 13) to environmentally protect an accessopening 21 formed in the jacket 22 of the cable 20, for example.

The bottom housing part 220 differs from the bottom housing part 120 inthat the bottom housing part 220 includes a clip mount post 254, a clipbolt hole 254A in the clip mount post 254, and a rear stabilizer slot256 (FIG. 10).

The cable control clip 250 may be formed of materials as discussed abovewith regard to the cable control clip 150. The housing parts 210, 220may be formed of materials as discussed above with regard to the housingparts 110, 120. The sealants 60, 62, 64 may be formed of materials asdiscussed above with regard to the sealants 50, 52, 54.

The assembly 200 may be used in the same manner as the assembly 100 toform a splice connection assembly 7, for example, except as follows. Thecable control clip 250 (FIGS. 11 and 12) includes top and bottom clipmembers 260 and 270 corresponding to clip members 160 and 170, exceptthat the clip members 260, 270 do not have bends corresponding to thebends 169A, 179A. Also the clip member 260 further includes a stabilizertab 268 depending from the second end thereof.

The cable control clip 250 and the enclosure 200 can generally be usedin the same manner as the cable control clip 150 and the enclosure 100except that the cable 20 will be differently oriented in the housing andthe stabilizer tab 268 is received in the stabilizer slot 256. The clipmembers 260, 270 are secured to the bottom housing part 220 by a bolt252 that engages the bolt hole 254A through the bolt slots 262, 272. Theassembled and closed splice connection assembly 7 is shown in its closedconfiguration in FIG. 13.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the enclosure assemblies100, 200 may be used in combination to form a fiber optic cableenclosure system 15 as shown in FIG. 14. In accordance with methods ofthe present invention, two access openings 21A, 21B are each formed inthe cable 20 at longitudinally spaced apart locations. Each accessopening 21A, 21B is generally formed, constructed and configured in themanner discussed herein with respect to FIG. 8.

A selected one or more of the plurality of optical fibers 28 is accessedthrough and cut at the first opening 21A. The selected one of theplurality of optical fibers is accessed at the second opening 21B and alength of the selected one of the plurality of optical fibers 28 isdrawn from the second opening 21B to provide a selected length of theone or more fibers 28. The respective selected fiber or fibers 28 maythen be spliced to an optical fiber or fibers in a drop cable or dropcables 30. The splices and the access opening 21B may then byenvironmentally protected by mounting the enclosure assembly 100 on theportion of the cable 20 about the access opening 21B in the mannerdescribed above with the reference to FIGS. 1-7. The access opening 21Amay be environmentally protected by mounting the enclosure assembly 200on the portion of the cable 20 about the access opening 21A in themanner described above with reference to FIGS. 9-13. Mounting of theenclosure assemblies 100, 200 includes securing the cable control clip150 to the respective cable portion and to the housing 111 as describedabove, and securing the cable control clip 250 to the respective cableportion and to the housing 211 as described above.

According to some embodiments, the second enclosure assembly 200 is alow-volume, in-line closure provided to environmentally seal the firstopening 21A where the selected fiber or fibers 28 are originally cut.The larger enclosure assembly 100 is configured to cover the secondopening 21A where a selected length of the fiber or fibers 28 are drawn.Splices to respective drop cables 30 may be accommodated on a splicetray or the like within the enclosure assembly 100. A closure kitincluding the enclosure assembly 100 and the enclosure assembly 200 mayalso be provided in some embodiments of the present invention. However,in some embodiments only a single opening 21B is provided and a pair ofenclosure assemblies may not be needed and a single enclosure, such asthe enclosure assembly 100, may be used to accommodate splices.

According to some embodiments, the access openings 21A, 21B are formedusing apparatus and/or methods as disclosed in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/194,178, filed Aug. 19, 2008, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

With reference to FIG. 15, a cable control clip 350 according to furtherembodiments of the present invention is shown therein. The cable controlclip 350 corresponds to the cable control clip 250, except that thecable control clip 350 is unitarily formed with a top portion 360(corresponding to the top clip member 260) and a bottom portion 370(corresponding to the bottom clip member 270) being integrally formedwith and connected by a bend portion 367. According to some embodiments,the clip 350 is unitarily molded or cast or formed (e.g., by stamping)from a unitary piece.

The cable control clip 350 may be used in the same manner as the cablecontrol clip 250, except that the clip 350 is temporarily spread openabout the bend portion 367 to permit insertion of the clip 350 into thecable 20, and thereafter returned or permitted to return to a closedposition to capture the cable 20.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to beconstrued as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments ofthis invention have been described, those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention. Therefore,it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the presentinvention and is not to be construed as limited to the specificembodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosedembodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be includedwithin the scope of the invention.

1. An enclosure assembly comprising: a fiber optic cable having alengthwise cable axis and including a plurality of optical fibers and ajacket surrounding the optical fibers; an enclosure housing defining achamber to receive the cable; and a cable control clip disposed in thechamber, inserted through the cable and extending radially between theoptical fibers and the jacket, wherein the cable control clip limitscontact between the optical fibers and one or more other components ofthe cable and limits displacement of the enclosure housing relative tothe cable; wherein: at least some of the optical fibers extend fullythrough the enclosure housing uncut; the jacket extends fully andcontinuously through the enclosure housing; the jacket includes alongitudinally extending access opening through which the optical fibersare accessible; and the cable control clip is inserted through theaccess opening.
 2. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein the cablecontrol clip is affixed to the enclosure housing.
 3. The enclosureassembly of claim 1 wherein the cable control clip includes first andsecond clip members coupled to one another, wherein the first clipmember includes a first wall configured to extend between the opticalfibers and the jacket, and the second clip member includes a second wallconfigured to extend around an exterior of the jacket.
 4. The enclosureassembly of claim 1 wherein: the cable control clip includes a unitarilyformed clip member, the clip member including a first wall and a secondwall connected by a bend portion; and the clip member is configured toloop around the cable such that the first wall extends between theoptical fibers and the jacket, and the second wall extends around anexterior of the jacket.
 5. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein thecable control clip includes a fiber groove configured to receive theoptical fibers and to extend radially into the jacket.
 6. The enclosureassembly of claim 1 wherein the cable control clip is configured to gripthe cable.
 7. The enclosure assembly of claim 6 wherein the cablecontrol clip includes at least one projection configured to embed intothe jacket to resist axial displacement of the jacket relative to thecable control clip.
 8. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein, whenmounted on the cable, the cable control clip permits the cable to floataxially a limited distance with respect to the cable control clip. 9.The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein the cable control clip isconfigured to extend radially between the optical fibers and the jacketand a strength member forming a part of the cable concurrently such thatthe cable control clip limits contact between the optical fibers and thestrength member.
 10. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein the cablecontrol clip is metal.
 11. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein thehousing includes: a cable entrance port in communication with thechamber and configured to receive the cable theretbrough along anentrance axis; and a cable exit port in communication with the chamberand configured to receive the cable therethrough along an exit axis;wherein the entrance axis and the exit axis are nonparallel with respectto one another.
 12. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein: the cablefurther includes a buffer tube and a strength member; and the cablecontrol clip extends radially between the optical fibers and the jacket,the strength member and the buffer tube concurrently and limits contactbetween the optical fibers and the strength member and the buffer tube.13. A cable control clip for use with a fiber optic cable and anenclosure housing, the cable having a lengthwise cable axis andincluding a plurality of optical fibers and a jacket surrounding theoptical fibers, the enclosure housing defining a chamber to receive thecable, the cable control clip being configured to be inserted throughthe cable to extend radially between the optical fibers and the jacketto limit contact between the optical fibers and one or more othercomponents of the cable, and to limit displacement of the enclosurehousing relative to the cable when the cable control clip is disposed inthe chamber, wherein the cable control clip includes a fiber grooveconfigured to receive the optical fibers and to extend radially into thejacket.
 14. The cable control clip of claim 13 including at least oneprojection configured to embed into the jacket to resist axialdisplacement of the jacket relative to the cable control clip.
 15. Anenclosure assembly for use with a fiber optic cable, the cable having alengthwise cable axis and including a plurality of optical fibers and ajacket surrounding the optical fibers, the enclosure assemblycomprising: an enclosure housing defining a chamber to receive thecable; and a cable control clip configured to be inserted through thecable to extend radially between the optical fibers and the jacket tolimit contact between the optical fibers and one or more othercomponents of the cable, and to limit displacement of the enclosurehousing relative to the cable when the cable control clip is disposed inthe chamber; wherein the cable control clip includes first and secondclip members coupled to one another, the first clip member includes afirst wall configured to extend between the optical fibers and thejacket, and the second clip member includes a second wall configured toextend around an exterior of the jacket.
 16. The enclosure assembly ofclaim 15 wherein the second clip member includes at least one projectionconfigured to embed into the jacket to resist axial displacement of thejacket relative to the cable control clip.
 17. An enclosure assembly foruse with a fiber optic cable, the cable having a lengthwise cable axisand including a plurality of optical fibers and a jacket surrounding theoptical fibers, the enclosure assembly comprising: an enclosure housingdefining a chamber to receive the cable; and a cable control clipconfigured to be inserted through the cable to extend radially betweenthe optical fibers and the jacket to limit contact between the opticalfibers and one or more other components of the cable, and to limitdisplacement of the enclosure housing relative to the cable when thecable control clip is disposed in the chamber; wherein the cable controlclip includes a fiber groove configured to receive the optical fibersand to extend radially into the jacket.
 18. The enclosure assembly ofclaim 17 wherein the cable control clip is configured to grip the cable.19. The enclosure assembly of claim 18 wherein the cable control clipincludes at least one projection configured to embed into the jacket toresist axial displacement of the jacket relative to the cable controlclip.
 20. The enclosure assembly of claim 17 wherein, when mounted onthe cable, the cable control clip permits the cable to float axially alimited distance with respect to the cable control clip.
 21. Theenclosure assembly of claim 17 wherein the cable control clip isconfigured to extend radially between the optical fibers and the jacketand a strength member forming a part of the cable concurrently such thatthe cable control clip limits contact between the optical fibers and thestrength member.
 22. The enclosure assembly of claim 17 wherein thecable control clip is metal.